From csus.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!psgrain!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna Tue Mar 21 08:37:40 1995 Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions,news.answers Path: csus.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!psgrain!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna From: tierna@agora.rdrop.com (Britt Klein) Subject: FAQ on making and using a .signature file Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.edu Followup-To: news.newusers.questions Reply-To: tierna@agora.rdrop.com Keywords: sig .sig signature .signature footer Sender: news@agora.rdrop.com (USENET News) Expires: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 08:00:00 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: agora.rdrop.com Organization: SunDial Earth Station, Portland Or Message-ID: Date: Sun, 15 Jan 1995 14:14:22 GMT Summary: A short informational on getting your .signature to work. Lines: 101 Xref: csus.edu news.newusers.questions:44642 news.answers:35965 Archive-name: usenet/signature-faq News-newusers-questions-archive-name: signature-faq Last-modified: 1994/12/1 Author: tierna@agora.rdrop.com - with tips gathered from posts and submissions and credited wherever possible Comment: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions and by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. FAQ on making and using a .signature file by Britt Klein Last updated: 1 December 1994 What follows are the bare basics on how to create a .signature file and get it to append to your news posts and email. It *should* work for most users. I'm going to try and pop this thing off every 4 days or so, just to keep it in people's faces and possibly eliminate the constant-request syndrome. Therefore this might be repeated twice in some postings: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. Anything in quotes is a prompt-line command and should work verbatim. (Also, the terminology herein is quite near the lowest level of enduser. This is on purpose, as the last thing new users need is to be confused by too much technicalese.) This is formulated for *nix-based systems, outside of that realm I'm out of my level of expertise big-time. I never claimed to know everything, just enough to get around. Yes, DO email for clarification or further information or advice. I'm perfectly willing to help people if they ask. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get thee to thy home directory and therein edit thyself a file. Name it `.signature'. Remember that inews and other news systems (the ones that make up the majority of the news software on Usenet, actually) will cut off everything after the fourth line, so it's good to stay below that limit. Also, don't use ANSI. It might look good on your screen, but zillions of people across the Net will see it as nothing more than a bunch of control characters and very likely underestimate your intelligence. If you've never used an editor, I suggest pico, as it's infinitely user-friendly. ("pico .signature") Save it. Make sure the .signature file is world readable ("chmod 644 .signature"). Now, your news posting software _should_ look for and automatically append it to your posts. If you're using Elm for email, it ought to do same. Some versions of mail and mailx will, also. If you are using Elm and it doesn't automatically read on the end of your messages, go to your .elm directory ("cd .elm") and edit your elmrc to get the pointers looking for a .signature file (often the problem is that line is commented out with a #, delete it). This assumes your Elm, as mine, supplies a .elm directory and elmrc file when invoked. If not, the following section should be the answer: -- 1. If you do not yet have a .elm/elmrc file, create one with the following steps: elm (start elm) o (options) > (save) q (quit elm) 2. Edit the .elm/elmrc file with your favorite text editor (newer versions create a .elm directory and put the file `elmrc' into it. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to create it at this point, then edit), and insert the two lines localsignature = $HOME/.signature remotesignature = $HOME/.signature according to the comment lines in that file (Remember, to have those lines read, take out the #'s at the beginning.) -- Torsten Dreier kindly supplied the information on getting things working in Pine: In your home directory you should have a file called '.pinerc'. Check with 'ls -alg'. This file is the pine configuration. Edit it and search for the section 'feature list'. To this section add the command 'signature-at-bottom' which will move the signature in replies to the end of the original (quoted) text. As far as I know this only works for mail not for newsgroups. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: Newsposting software normally does *not* show your .signature when it asks about sending. The only sure way to know is to post to a TEST newsgroup to see. Don't append manually thinking it's not there until you know for certain. And remember, to test your .signature, send email to yourself or a friend, and send your posts to alt.test or misc.test with the Subject: ignore, so you don't clutter up areas not meant for such things. That way you'll not get floods of email chiding you for improper newsgroup use. Worldwide test groups send automatic replies to posts unless you include the words "ignore" or "no reply" in the body of the message. (Recommended reading: Professor Timo Salmi's FAQ on test posts periodically posted to news.newusers.questions.) - Britt -- "I was sleeping nicely, then someone shut the lid on my pillow... That hurt." - SJK 12-12-94 0500 From csus.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!psgrain!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna Tue Mar 21 08:37:41 1995 Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions,news.answers Path: csus.edu!csulb.edu!library.ucla.edu!psgrain!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna From: tierna@agora.rdrop.com (Britt Klein) Subject: FAQ on making and using a .signature file Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.edu Followup-To: news.newusers.questions Reply-To: tierna@agora.rdrop.com Keywords: sig .sig signature .signature footer Sender: news@agora.rdrop.com (USENET News) Expires: Fri, 31 Mar 1995 08:00:00 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: agora.rdrop.com Organization: SunDial Earth Station, Portland Or Message-ID: Date: Thu, 23 Feb 1995 09:51:08 GMT Summary: A short informational on getting your .signature to work. Lines: 102 Xref: csus.edu news.newusers.questions:49572 news.answers:38493 Archive-name: usenet/signature-faq News-newusers-questions-archive-name: signature-faq Last-modified: 1994/12/1 Author: tierna@agora.rdrop.com - with tips gathered from posts and submissions and credited wherever possible Comment: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions and by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. FAQ on making and using a .signature file by Britt Klein Last updated: 1 December 1994 What follows are the bare basics on how to create a .signature file and get it to append to your news posts and email. It *should* work for most users. I'm going to try and pop this thing off every 4 days or so, just to keep it in people's faces and possibly eliminate the constant-request syndrome. Therefore this might be repeated twice in some postings: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. Anything in quotes is a prompt-line command and should work verbatim. (Also, the terminology herein is quite near the lowest level of enduser. This is on purpose, as the last thing new users need is to be confused by too much technicalese.) This is formulated for *nix-based systems, outside of that realm I'm out of my level of expertise big-time. I never claimed to know everything, just enough to get around. Yes, DO email for clarification or further information or advice. I'm perfectly willing to help people if they ask. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get thee to thy home directory and therein edit thyself a file. Name it `.signature'. Remember that inews and other news systems (the ones that make up the majority of the news software on Usenet, actually) will cut off everything after the fourth line, so it's good to stay below that limit. Also, don't use ANSI. It might look good on your screen, but zillions of people across the Net will see it as nothing more than a bunch of control characters and very likely underestimate your intelligence. If you've never used an editor, I suggest pico, as it's infinitely user-friendly. ("pico .signature") Save it. Make sure the .signature file is world readable ("chmod 644 .signature"). Now, your news posting software _should_ look for and automatically append it to your posts. If you're using Elm for email, it ought to do same. Some versions of mail and mailx will, also. If you are using Elm and it doesn't automatically read on the end of your messages, go to your .elm directory ("cd .elm") and edit your elmrc to get the pointers looking for a .signature file (often the problem is that line is commented out with a #, delete it). This assumes your Elm, as mine, supplies a .elm directory and elmrc file when invoked. If not, the following section should be the answer: -- 1. If you do not yet have a .elm/elmrc file, create one with the following steps: elm (start elm) o (options) > (save) q (quit elm) 2. Edit the .elm/elmrc file with your favorite text editor (newer versions create a .elm directory and put the file `elmrc' into it. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to create it at this point, then edit), and insert the two lines localsignature = $HOME/.signature remotesignature = $HOME/.signature according to the comment lines in that file (Remember, to have those lines read, take out the #'s at the beginning.) -- Torsten Dreier kindly supplied the information on getting things working in Pine: In your home directory you should have a file called '.pinerc'. Check with 'ls -alg'. This file is the pine configuration. Edit it and search for the section 'feature list'. To this section add the command 'signature-at-bottom' which will move the signature in replies to the end of the original (quoted) text. As far as I know this only works for mail not for newsgroups. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: Newsposting software normally does *not* show your .signature when it asks about sending. The only sure way to know is to post to a TEST newsgroup to see. Don't append manually thinking it's not there until you know for certain. And remember, to test your .signature, send email to yourself or a friend, and send your posts to alt.test or misc.test with the Subject: ignore, so you don't clutter up areas not meant for such things. That way you'll not get floods of email chiding you for improper newsgroup use. Worldwide test groups send automatic replies to posts unless you include the words "ignore" or "no reply" in the body of the message. (Recommended reading: Professor Timo Salmi's FAQ on test posts periodically posted to news.newusers.questions.) - Britt -- "I was sleeping nicely, then someone shut the lid on my pillow... That hurt." - SJK 12-12-94 0500 From csus.edu!news.ucdavis.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!news1.oakland.edu!synthcom.com!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna Tue Mar 21 08:37:41 1995 Newsgroups: news.newusers.questions,news.answers Path: csus.edu!news.ucdavis.edu!agate!howland.reston.ans.net!gatech!newsxfer.itd.umich.edu!news1.oakland.edu!synthcom.com!agora!agora.rdrop.com!tierna From: tierna@agora.rdrop.com (Britt Klein) Subject: FAQ on making and using a .signature file Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.edu Followup-To: news.newusers.questions Reply-To: tierna@agora.rdrop.com Keywords: sig .sig signature .signature footer Sender: news@agora.rdrop.com (USENET News) Expires: Sun, 30 Apr 1995 07:00:00 GMT Nntp-Posting-Host: agora.rdrop.com Organization: SunDial Earth Station, Portland Or Message-ID: Date: Tue, 21 Mar 1995 08:49:41 GMT Summary: A short informational on getting your .signature to work. Lines: 106 Xref: csus.edu news.newusers.questions:53159 news.answers:40293 Archive-name: usenet/signature-faq News-newusers-questions-archive-name: signature-faq Last-modified: 1995/3/3 Author: tierna@agora.rdrop.com - with tips gathered from posts and submissions and credited wherever possible Comment: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions and by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. FAQ on making and using a .signature file by Britt Klein Last updated: 3 March 1995 (NOTICE: To send a reply in email to the writer of this post, use the "r" key. Personal correspondence and complete reposts without comment should _not_ be posted to the newsgroups.) What follows are the bare basics on how to create a .signature file and get it to append to your news posts and email. It *should* work for most users. I'm going to try and pop this thing off every 4 days or so, just to keep it in people's faces and possibly eliminate the constant-request syndrome. Therefore this might be repeated twice in some postings: Available for FTP from rtfm.mit.edu in usenet/news/newusers/questions by email from tierna@agora.rdrop.com. Anything in quotes is a prompt-line command and should work verbatim. (Also, the terminology herein is quite near the lowest level of enduser. This is on purpose, as the last thing new users need is to be confused by too much technicalese.) This is formulated for *nix-based systems, outside of that realm I'm out of my level of expertise big-time. I never claimed to know everything, just enough to get around. Yes, DO email for clarification or further information or advice. I'm perfectly willing to help people if they ask. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get thee to thy home directory and therein edit thyself a file. Name it `.signature'. Remember that inews and other news systems (the ones that make up the majority of the news software on Usenet, actually) will cut off everything after the fourth line, so it's good to stay below that limit. Also, don't use ANSI. It might look good on your screen, but zillions of people across the Net will see it as nothing more than a bunch of control characters and very likely underestimate your intelligence. If you've never used an editor, I suggest pico, as it's infinitely user-friendly. ("pico .signature") Save it. Make sure the .signature file is world readable ("chmod 644 .signature"). Now, your news posting software _should_ look for and automatically append it to your posts. If you're using Elm for email, it ought to do same. Some versions of mail and mailx will, also. If you are using Elm and it doesn't automatically read on the end of your messages, go to your .elm directory ("cd .elm") and edit your elmrc to get the pointers looking for a .signature file (often the problem is that line is commented out with a #, delete it). This assumes your Elm, as mine, supplies a .elm directory and elmrc file when invoked. If not, the following section should be the answer: -- 1. If you do not yet have a .elm/elmrc file, create one with the following steps: elm (start elm) o (options) > (save) q (quit elm) 2. Edit the .elm/elmrc file with your favorite text editor (newer versions create a .elm directory and put the file `elmrc' into it. If that doesn't happen, you'll need to create it at this point, then edit), and insert the two lines localsignature = $HOME/.signature remotesignature = $HOME/.signature according to the comment lines in that file (Remember, to have those lines read, take out the #'s at the beginning.) -- Torsten Dreier kindly supplied the information on getting things working in Pine: In your home directory you should have a file called '.pinerc'. Check with 'ls -alg'. This file is the pine configuration. Edit it and search for the section 'feature list'. To this section add the command 'signature-at-bottom' which will move the signature in replies to the end of the original (quoted) text. As far as I know this only works for mail not for newsgroups. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - NOTE: Newsposting software normally does *not* show your .signature when it asks about sending. The only sure way to know is to post to a TEST newsgroup to see. Don't append manually thinking it's not there until you know for certain. And remember, to test your .signature, send email to yourself or a friend, and send your posts to alt.test or misc.test with the Subject: ignore, so you don't clutter up areas not meant for such things. That way you'll not get floods of email chiding you for improper newsgroup use. Worldwide test groups send automatic replies to posts unless you include the words "ignore" or "no reply" in the body of the message. (Recommended reading: Professor Timo Salmi's FAQ on test posts periodically posted to news.newusers.questions.) - Britt -- "I was sleeping nicely, then someone shut the lid on my pillow... That hurt." - SJK 12-12-94 0500